Rachael Plassard
Contemporary Crafts MA MFA
University for the Creative Arts Farnham
Graduates: 2023
Specialisms: Jewellery
My location: Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Rachael Plassard
First Name: Rachael
Last Name: Plassard
University / College: University for the Creative Arts Farnham
Course / Program: Contemporary Crafts MA MFA
Graduates: 2023
Specialisms: Jewellery
My Location: Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Website: Click To See Website
About
My work reinterprets traditional ornament, taking inspiration from highly decorative styles throughout history. This love for decoration runs through my family and is an intrinsic part of my practice. I often work intuitively, marking out and piercing by hand, allowing myself to be absorbed in the flow of making. I take a maximalist approach to my work by layering up decorative surfaces and combining a mixture of techniques, etching, roller printing, keum boo, gold plating and oxidising. These combinations result in a richness and opulence, and what at first glance might look like a Greek headdress, or a baroque frame, on closer inspection is imbued with a contemporary aesthetic. It is only at the end that the piece comes to life, when I lift, twist, and form the metal, a delightful and satisfying process of experimentation and discovery.
For this collection I have expanded on my intrinsic love for decoration and ornament, using it as a way of communicating a personal, underlying narrative. This collection of pieces, titled ‘When memory fades’ explores ideas surrounding memory, what happens when it works and when it doesn’t. This line of enquiry began as a reaction to my father’s 10 year battle with Alzheimer’s. Through my work I explore the gradual fade and disruption of memory, the fragility and power of memory, and the complexity of memory. Using the acanthus ornament and the frame in my work signifies the importance of protection, collection, and absence. It has been a therapeutic journey, with the act of repetitive making becoming a way of healing. By bearing and trusting in my sadness’s, I have made a transition into something new, resulting in sentimental pieces, a shrine like collection, that reflects on finding beauty in loss and empowerment in the unknown.
Competitions
